Mother of Cape Verde goalie will secure visa, Hakeem Jeffries says

After missing her son’s historic FIFA World Cup performance Monday, the mother of Cabo Verde’s goalkeeper will be able to attend his next match.

This week, Josimar “Vozinha” Dias, the Cape Verde’s men’s national team goalie, received national attention after holding powerhouse Spain to a scoreless performance in Cabo Verde’s World Cup debut against all odds. His mother was unable to make the game due to visa complications involving pricing.

Now, U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries — the House minority leader and leader of the House Democratic Caucus — has announced that Dias’s mother will be able to secure a visa in time for the team’s next match on Sunday, June 21.

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“No mother should miss the chance to see her child make history,” Jeffries said in a statement posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). “It is a privilege to announce that Vozinha’s mom will be able to secure a visa in time to attend their game this Sunday against Uraguay.”

Jeffries said the fees associated with obtaining her visa have been waived.

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“Upon learning of this development, I spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and asked the State Department to do everything in their power to ensure that his mother can attend Cabo Verde’s next match,” Jeffries said in a prepared statement. “All fees have been waived consistent with official policy. Travel arrangements are now being made for mother and son to reunite in Miami.”

Here is the rest of the complete Group H schedule for Cabo Verde:

• Sunday, June 21- Cabo Verde vs. Uruguay, 6 p.m. at Miami Stadium (Hard Rock Stadium)

• Friday, June 26- Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, 8 p.m. at Houston Stadium (NRG Stadium)

Sunday, June 21- Cabo Verde vs. Uruguay, 6 p.m. at Miami Stadium (Hard Rock Stadium)

Friday, June 26- Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, 8 p.m. at Houston Stadium (NRG Stadium)

Cabo Verde is an archipelagic country (meaning it’s solely comprised of a collection of islands) in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa. It’s about 350 miles off the cost of Senegal, another World Cup qualifier.

Cabo Verde’s population is around 500,000. Massachusetts is home to the largest Cape Verdean population, with more than 70,000 people in the Bay State. Brockton has the largest populations of Cape Verdeans living there outside of the country itself.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Cape Verde goalie’s mom visa fee waived for World Cup